Diffused lighting means



FIGJ.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 c. w. ATTWOOD DIFFUSED LIGHTING MEANS I I I l l I llzllullllllll i $5 H M Oct. 27, 1959 Filed Aug. 3, 1955 INVENTOR. CHARLES W. ATTWOOD WM;

ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.4.

C. W. ATTWOOD DIFFUSED LIGHTING MEANS Oct. 27, 1959 Filed Aug. 5, 1955 \o o OIIIj' HII'O o FIG.3.

)ooolIl llllllllll llllllIl |||l INVENTOR.

CHARLE S W. ATTWOOD ATTOR N EYS United States P w 2,910,574 DIFFUSED' LIGHTING MEANS Charles W. Attwood, Wayne, Mich.

Application A'ugust 3, 1955, Serial No. 526,265

4 Claims. (Cl. 240-9) The present invention relates to a means for the inside illumination of buildings and more particularly to illuminating means in which the light is substantially completely diffused and the light source undistinguishable.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a system of illumination in which the light fixtures and lights are in themselves concealed behind light diffusing panels.

Another object is to provide means by which the diffusing panels may readily be removedfor service of the lights and fixtures and be replaced without difficulty.

Other objects and advantages will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an arrangement of the lights and diffusion panels for a room.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the panels and supporting means as viewed from the upper side.

Fig. 4 is a similar view from the under side.

Fig. 5 is an enlargement of part of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Figure 7 is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 6 showing the mounting of the diffusion film.

In the drawings, in Figs. 1 and 2, the general arrangement of the means constituting an embodiment of the invention is diagrammatically shown; for example, a room in a building with side walls .10 and ceiling 11, with ceiling superstructure at 12 supporting light fixtures 15, the latter being indicated as of the fluorescent tube type. Also in these figures the ceiling 11 is indicated as being made up of rectangular panels 16, and while such rectangular panels will usually be the preferred form, other polygonal forms may on occasion be found necessary or desirable.

In the preferred form of the invention, the ceiling 11 will be made up of rectangular frames 16 of members 17, themselves of rectangular cross section and while any suitable material, such as Wood, composition materials, etc., may be used, the invention is illustrated as using steel channel members of the form known on the market as Unistrut.

This Unistrut material consists, as shown best in Fig. 6, of sheet metal formed into a channel with its edge portions 17A turned inwardly at right angles and again inwardly as at 17B at right angles to produce a longitudinally slotted member with inwardly projecting flanges along the slot. When a relatively thin stock is used, the edges of the flanges 17B may be turned back upon themselves as shown at 170. While the channel member 17 is shown as substantially square in cross section, it may be shallower if desired.

As shown in Fig. 3, the channel material 17 may be fixed together to produce the ceiling frames, by means of suitable connecting plates 18 bolted to the members 17, the plates being on the unexposed face of the members. In the several openings between the members 17 are mounted panels of light diffusing material 20 carried in light weight metal frames 21 of the form shown in Figs: 5, 6 and 7. Each of the frames 21 comprises side members 22 of light gauge spring metal strips having along one edge a partially cylindrical channel 22A opening downwardly and displaced upwardly above the major portion of the strip and having its other edge turned upward and slightly inward to provide a substantially rectangular channel 22B opening upwardly.

The side members 22 are fixed together by means of L-shaped flat corner plates 23D inserted in the channels 22B and held by a turned over short portion of the channel wall 22C.

The light diffusing medium 20 consists preferably of a sheet of thin plastic material held at its edges in the channels 22A of the frame members 22 by the insertion of rods 23 which are somewhat shorter than the members 22, and by corner rods 23A, each of which extends a sufficient distance to substantially meet a rod 23.

The preferred material for the panel 20 is a translucent vinyl plastic film which is very tough and is sulficiently elastic to permit it to be stretched tightly in the frames 21. It is also light in weight and will not sag.

Other light diffusing film material may be used if desired. The frames 21 containing the light diffusing material 20 are supported in the openings between the members 17 by means of the clips 30, there being one or more along each side of the frames, depending upon the frame dimensions.

The clips 30, as shown best in Fig. 6, consisting of U-shaped spring metal members fit over the rectangular member 17 and are provided with punched in tongues or spurs 31 which prevent displacement by digging into the wall of the member. Each clip 30 has its end bent outwardly and upwardly to provide a rectangular portion 32 of such outside dimensions as to fit tightly in the channel 22B of a panel frame member 22.

The clips 30 will be used wherever there is a panel 20 on either side of a member 17. In case the member 17 is located adjacent a wall or other surface as indicated at 35, the clip may be of the form shown at the right of Fig. 6. In this form, there is only one leg with a rectangular portion 32 and the clip may be fixed to the member 17 by means of a screw 36 and nut 37, or by any other suitable means.

While it is preferred to have the light diffusion panels as a part of the ceiling structure, it is obvious that the superstructure indicated in Fig. 1 may be considered as a part of the light support means and that the panels be considered as being supported by the light fixtures.

I claim: I

1. Ceiling construction comprising a framework of members of rectangular cross section and presenting a plurality of polygonal openings, coextensive panels of light diffusing material supported in said openings, each panel including a frame having perimetral channel opening upwardly, and supporting means for said panels comprising U-shaped clips fixed over the rectangular frame work members and having end portions adapted to engage frictionally in said channels.

2. In combination a frame member of rectangular cross section, a spring metal U-shaped clip embracing the member and having its ends bent outwardly and at right angles and then upwardly to provide rectangular channel shaped portions, and an element to be supported thereby, said element having a coacting channel portion of such shape and dimension as to fit tightly over the rectangular channel shaped portions of the U-shaped clip.

3. In combination a frame member of rectangular cross section, a spring metal U-shaped clip embracing the member and having its ends bent outwardly and at right angles Patented Oct. 27, 1959 as to fit tightly over the rectangular channel shaped por-;

tions of the U-shaped clip.

4. Diffused illumination means consisting of a ceiling construction comprising a framework of members of rectangular cross section and presenting a plurality of polygonal openings, coextensive panels of light diffusing material supported in said openings, each panel including a frame having a perimetral channel opening upwardly, and supporting means for said panels comprising U- shaped clips fixed over the rectangular framework members and having end portions adapted to engage frictionally in said channels, and light sources mounted above said ceiling.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,523,734 Tuck Jan. 20, 1925 1,821,955 Wuelker Sept. 8, 1931 1,997,581 Heeren et a1. Apr. 16, 1935 2,312,393 Donnelly Mar. 2, 1943 2,440,603 Guth Apr. 27, 1948 2,606,608 Stewart Aug. 12, 1952 2,659,807 Wakefield Nov. 17, 1953 2,691,720 Simmons Oct. 12, 1954 2,710,081 Fink June 7, 1955 2,710,335 Wong June 7, 1955 

